It Was Never Perfect
by breakfastwithfairies
Summary: Norway looks back at his unpleasant memories of the separation of his family. Now, he hopes he can make up to his younger brother for what he feels was partially his fault. Very subtly implied DenNor. Plot based on historical events.


Norway didn't know the whole story.  
He knew that Denmark and Sweden had been arguing a lot lately, and that Denmark had been stumbling into drunken stupors and suffering from angry hangovers for days on end, but he didn't really know how Denmark was feeling. He didn't know the reasons why Denmark always seemed so angry, so distant, so disinterested in him. He remembered the day they had been separated. It was early in the morning, just an hour or two after midnight. The moonlight shone simply in through the window, providing a soft, gentle light. Snow fell silently outside. Iceland had been put to sleep several hours before, and seeing that Denmark didn't seem that interested in showing or receiving any affection that night, Norway had decided to leave him alone and crawl into his own bed instead of Denmark's. He had just started to drift off to sleep when a loud slam startled him fully awake again. He heard heavy, agitated footsteps that he knew belonged to Sweden. The slam apparently frightened Iceland, causing a loud cry to be heard from the room next to Norway's. Expecting another argument, Norway rose and slipped into Iceland's dark room, picking him up to comfort him and hopefully distract him from the furious screams of his eldest brothers.  
"It's alright, Island," Norway whispered, running his hand through the baby's soft hair that matched the snow outside. Though Iceland couldn't yet comprehend Norway's whispering, he was comforted by the constant hum of Norway's gentle voice as he swayed back and forth in the darkness. His crying slowly settled to soft whimpers.  
But as Iceland became less distressed, Norway could hear the argument becoming more heated.  
"You don't even know what's best for the family! All you've been doing lately is getting drunk and pampering and thinking about yourself, when there are so many other things that need to be taken care of! And have you even _looked_ at your baby brother lately? Iceland should not be solely Norway's responsibility!" Sweden's voice became angrier and angrier with each word.  
It was obvious that Denmark didn't care what Sweden was saying; the words rendered themselves pointless against the stubbornness of the Dane. "What makes you think you have the right to scream at me like this?"  
Sweden fumed with anger. "It shouldn't always be about _you_! I'm taking the rest of the family until you stop being a pompous, selfish asshole!"  
Norway heard more angry pounding of Sweden's boots as he approached Iceland's room.  
"_Good_!" Denmark yelled after the fleeing Swede. "I don't need you! None of you appreciate all the things I do for you anyway and if you don't need me, I don't need you!"  
Iceland's door slammed open. Sweden flicked the light on suddenly, causing Norway to flinch and blink, waiting for his eyes to adjust. He grabbed Norway's wrist tightly, not taking any care to be gentle.  
"Come on. We're leaving and meeting Finland away from here. Put Iceland back to bed."  
Norway looked at Sweden desperately, shocked by the situation. "Sweden, w-we can't just leave Iceland here by himself-"  
"Now." The harshness of Sweden's voice frightened Norway, forcing him to oblige. He kissed Iceland and put him back in his bed, tucking him underneath his covers and giving him his favorite stuffed animal. Iceland's terrified and achingly innocent violet eyes looked straight into Norway's deep blue eyes, the separation of the two brothers causing them to tear up again. Norway was forced to tear his gaze from them when Sweden roughly pulled Norway away by his wrist.  
"J-Jeg elsker deg, Island," Norway choked out, tears clouding his vision. "Everything will be alright," he tried to convince Iceland and himself as he stumbled away.  
Sweden dragged him out of the room, slammed the door, and then out of the house, closing the front door with a bang.  
That was the last time Norway saw Denmark or Iceland for a long time. It would be a long time until Norway forgave himself for leaving Iceland alone with Denmark, who clearly wasn't fit to take cake of a baby by himself.  
Nearly hundreds of years later, Norway sat on his bed with his knees pulled comfortably into his chest, his gaze focused out the window. Iceland lay sleeping in the bed opposite his in the room that the two brothers shared. These days, Iceland was distant and quiet. It was obvious that his family irritated and embarrassed him often, and Norway couldn't help but painfully think back to the times when he was always smiling and giggling as a child. He knew the traumatic experience of being separated from over half of his family and living alone with the violent Dane as a child was the reason for his aloofness now, and he couldn't help but blame himself. Iceland got annoyed when Norway worried about him too much, or when he forced him to come downstairs and spend time with the rest of the family and stop spending his life in isolation. Norway hoped someday he could bring himself to talk to Iceland about the whole thing. He hoped with all his heart that maybe it would help them become closer, like they used to be.


End file.
